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This year's conference features a new series of professional networking events for experienced upper-level Latino creatives and executives to meet with heavy hitters in the industry. The event also continues its tradition of signature programs meant to nurture up-and-coming and mid-level Latinos in the industry.
"We hope to make new alliances, to help Latinos in the media feel and take charge of their voices and to facilitate their being heard," says NALIP board member Maria Agui Carter. "There is palpable excitement and inspiration in the air and an ethos of Latino artists supporting one another."
This year's theme, "Diverse Voices, Universal Content," encompasses the conference's main message: the importance of connecting with a variety of talented and experienced Latino producers, writers, directors, executives, and actors, as well as "the hope we feel for the future when each year we see so many young faces invested in their own development as a new generation of Latino mediamakers," Agui Carter says.
Kicking off the festivities with a keynote speech Friday is writer-director Robert Rodriguez, chosen, according to Agui Carter, for the way he embodies the independent spirit and wide-ranging interests of Latino mediamakers via his ability to tell stories that all Americans flock to, while celebrating his own heritage.
Multiple workshops and panels offer attendees ample opportunities to find success. The goal is to provide a supportive environment for artists to take advantage of invaluable face-to-face interactions with experts in the field, says Joseph Torres, NALIP board member.
"It's a chance for people to show their work to other professionals in a supportive environment that's nurturing," Torres says. "To see all the talent and major accomplishments, to me that's inspiring. There's no other forum like this in the country; we're helping people land jobs in the industry, and to find funding for projects."
Panel topics include screenplay writing, making money in TV commercials, successful YouTube channels, reality programming, and documentary financing. The payoff, Torres said, is that attendees come away with a renewed energy about themselves and their commitment to the profession.
An important accomplishment, he said, given that Latinos continue to strive for more representation in the industry, and it's crucial to create opportunities and help open doors. "The conference is a reminder that Latinos have always made major contributions to the film industry and the arts," Torres says. "But it's also a reminder that our community remains woefully underrepresented throughout the entertainment and public media profession."
While there is much to celebrate, Agui Carter adds that "NALIP will need to fight for more images by and about Latinos everywhere you see media."
This year's festival also honors the career of award-winning actress Rita Moreno with the presentation of the NALIP Lifetime Achievement Award on Saturday. Moreno's career in entertainment spans 70 years, earning her the Oscar, Emmy, Tony and Grammy, and making her an icon in the Latino community.
"Our entire community will gather to connect in the largest gathering of Latino mediamakers in the country," Agui Carter says.
Additional keynotes and executives scheduled to attend include representatives from Time Warner, HBO, Google, Sony, SAG, ABC/Disney, CNN and Travel Channel.
The conference takes place April 13-15 at the Sheraton Universal Hotel, 333 Universal Hollywood Drive, Universal City, Calif. For more information, visit nalip.org.